The Skinny Caprese Salad

It's no secret that I heart Italian food. Be it fancy wines, rich tiramisu, crispy pizza, hearty pasta, fizzy prosecco, or refreshing gelato, I could have it all. My favorite combo by far is basil, tomato and mozzarella... great in a sandwich, topping a pizza (yum yum yum), or all by its lonesome as a salad.

my homemade caprese salad with red wine vinaigrette 

Unfortunately, the average Caprese Salad has over 300 calories!!! It seems like a crime to even call it a salad when you see that high of a number. I have been meaning to come up with a low fat version so I could enjoy them guilt free and today was the day. Yesterday I found some fresh tomatoes and basil at the farmer's market so it was as good a time as any to cook one up... Enter in, the Skinny Caprese Salad

100 Calorie Caprese Salad (2 servings)

Ingredients:
1 & 1/4 cups of Cherry Tomatoes (halved) - 35 calories

1/2 cup of Mozzarella Pearlini - 100 calories
1 clove of Garlic (minced) - 4 calories
1 & 1/2 teaspoons of EVOO - 60 calories
10 Basil Leaves - 2 calories
Optional -- Salt & Cracked Pepper

Directions:
1. Combine the halved cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, minced garlic, and olive oil
2. Slice the basil leaves into ribbons and toss with the rest of the salad
3. Add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Enjoy!

Potato Salad with a Twist

The unseasonably warm weather is gone and it's back to being chilly again... boo! I thought revamping a summertime favorite might be just what we needed to bring the sunshine back into our lives. What to make, what to make... Potato Salad? Sounded good to me; who doesn't like a scrumptious potato salad anyways?

Since it's cold again, I wanted to go for a warm salad rather than the norm of a chilled salad. I raided the fridge and found some ingredients, then it came to me... why not serve a hot potato salad with a mirepoix (carrots, onions, and celery)? Yum!

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

• 7 baby potatoes, quartered
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons of minced yellow onions,
• 1/3 stalk of celery, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons of mayo
• Pinch: garlic salt, garlic powder, fresh ground pepper, vegetable seasoning, and plain salt

Directions:

1. Add the quartered baby potatoes and chopped carrot into a pot of cold water, season with the plain salt and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes or until fork tender
2. While they are cooking, saute the minced yellow onion and sliced celery over med-low heat until translucent (about 2-3 minutes)
3. In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, green onions, garlic salt, garlic powder, pepper, and vegetable seasoning
4. Drain the potatoes and carrots and return to the hot pot
5. Spoon in the sauteed celery and onions
6. Gently toss the vegetables with the mayo mixture 
7. Serve immediately (while warm)

The Mr. doesn't even like onions and after some cautious investigating he ended up eating the entire bowl. This turned out to be a great side dish and really used up some of the random veggie leftovers I had in the fridge (who can complain about that?) 

Have you ever created a spin-off recipe of a classic? I'd love some other suggestions :)